AUDIENCE SURVEY: https://bit.ly/creatoruploadsurvey

Is TikTok building a new radio empire? The creator economy is buzzing about a "podcast gold rush," and the platforms are racing to stake their claim.

In this episode, we break down the massive new partnership between iHeartMedia and TikTok to launch a 25-creator podcast network. We explore why this move, along with new initiatives from Netflix and Threads, signals a major shift from "scale" to "curation." Plus, we discuss how reality shows like Dancing With the Stars are now just a launchpad for talent to get a podcast deal.

What you’ll learn:

-- How TikTok is building an "aspirational funnel" for podcasters

-- Why TikTok Shop's $19B in sales is terrifying eBay

-- The new Visa & Karat AI tools that analyze brand deals for creators

-- How creators like Alex Earle and Emma Chamberlain are changing media

00:00 Intro & Creator Upload Survey

01:09 The Rise of "Christmas Creep"

04:19 Are Creators Driving Christmas Creep?

05:22 Special Thanks to Viral Nation

06:15 TikTok & iHeartMedia Podcast Deal

08:35 Why This Deal is Smart for TikTok

11:17 Strategy: Scale vs. Curation

14:08 TikTok: Distribution to Production

16:10 Threads & Netflix Join Podcast Push

18:41 Thesis: TV is a Path to Podcasting

19:42 Dancing With the Stars Podcast

21:45 Upload: Visa & Karat AI Tools

24:26 Upload: TikTok Shop vs. eBay

25:32 Outro

Thanks for Viral Nation for partnering with us for this video.

Creator Upload is your creator economy podcast, hosted by Lauren Schnipper and Joshua Cohen.

Follow Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schnipper/

Follow Josh: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuajcohen/

Original music by London Bridge: https://www.instagram.com/londonbridgemusic/

Edited and produced by Adam Conner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamonbrand